The gathering in Croatia was a chance for junior Labour Party members to get to know their counterparts in the Party of European Socialists (PES).

But they were shocked to witness gay delegates being threatened with violence by Croatian delegates who warned: ‘We don’t like f****** faggots.’

One British delegate at the camp, held in Savudrija on the Croatian coast, went on Twitter to complain: ‘Bigotry and intolerance [are] still rife in some parts of mainland Europe despite Socialist affiliation.’

The PES brings together the ‘sister socialist parties’ in the European Union, including ex-Warsaw Pact communist parties in Poland and Romania.

A total of 1,400 activists from across the EU gathered at the Young European Socialists summer camp to ‘put an end to neoliberal politics’.

But the semi-holiday mood soured after the gay delegates were heckled and insulted by the delegates thought to have been members of the Croatian Social Democratic Youth movement.

The UK delegation responded by leading an ‘anti-misogyny, homophobia and transphobia’ march through the site in protest.

Summer camp: The abuse occurred at a camp on the coast of Croatia

Daniel de la Motte, a Labour activist from Birmingham, declared on Twitter: ‘I have managed to get 2 delegates kicked out for homophobia, so kudos on the swift response of those organising.’

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The camp broke up on Thursday night but Labour Party members remain shocked.

It is embarrassing for Mr Miliband because Labour has highlighted David Cameron’s links – through the Tories’ right-wing alliances in the European Parliament – to politicians from the ex-Eastern Bloc countries who also hold homophobic views.